All I Want for Christmas
by Vampire Queen of NOLA
Summary: I'm having Christmas-y feels, so I decided to write a Klaroline Christmas one-shot! Hope you guys enjoy it! And, as a note, I did name Klaus' daughter in this- for reference, Zara is a French name, meaning 'princess'. I thought it was fitting. Enjoy and happy holidays, everyone!


She'd worn this jacket, the night he had invited her to drink with him and Kol- now, it was worn loosely, unneeded despite the time of year because apparently, _cold_ didn't really exist in New Orleans. The temperature was lower than usual, there was a chill enough to bring one's breath into smoke the moment it hit the open air, but it wasn't anywhere near how cold Mystic Falls had been when Caroline had left. There was a flurry of activity around her, but the blonde was more drawn to stand behind a man who'd set up his easel on the side of the street to paint a twisted view of the night life around him. Curiosity had her hovering there as she held her phone loosely, still debating if she should make the call or leave things be.

There were rumors. She hadn't expected them, but the closer she'd gotten to New Orleans, the more she'd heard about a supposed 'miracle' baby- half vampire, half wolf. One who had been born a hybrid. And maybe it was her own paranoia (something Klaus was better known for than she was) that left her wondering if this baby could possibly be connected to Klaus. Maybe the logical, 'well-adjusted' part of her was simply trying to concoct a story to give her a solid reason to tell her heart no and abandon this Christmas mission of erasing the past. Starting fresh. She sighed, dropping her eyes to her phone's screen, her finger hovering over the call button for a long time before she forced herself to tap it and put the phone to her ear.

No sense in acting like a coward now.

"Caroline." His voice was hushed, surprised, even- he hadn't heard from her since he'd come to her graduation. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have a question, Klaus. And I want you to be honest with me."

"Alright."

"Is there really a hybrid baby in New Orleans? I mean, the rumors are all saying that there is, a little girl, a little… _princess_, actually." At first, all she heard in return was a sigh, and she was left holding her breath, uncertain if she really wanted to hear the answer to her question. It was strange of her to even throw this on him out of the blue, but then, he had no way of even knowing where she was. _If_ it was true, he was probably wondering how she'd heard about it all the way in Mystic Falls. Surprise, surprise, she'd actually left, with every intention of coming to New Orleans for good. Thanks to the rumors… she wasn't so certain.

"Now _where_ did you hear that?" Klaus finally asked, a strange tension in his voice.

"Stop deflecting. There is, isn't there?"

"Caroline-"

"And a _princess._ That's right too, isn't it? She's called a princess?"

"Yes, but let me explain."

"Explain what? I mean, it's not suspicious that you're the self-proclaimed king of New Orleans and now, there's a little hybrid baby girl who _everyone_ refers to as a princess, not at _all._" The blonde vampire scoffed, shaking her head. "However long it takes. Right. Whatever." With that, she hung up on the hybrid, turning on her heel to set off and find herself somewhere quiet to ache in peace- because she _was_ hurting, a sharp pain in her chest that told her how much more she cared than she'd let on when she was talking to him.

Coming face-to-face with how she felt about Klaus hadn't been easy. It had been more of a struggle than she'd ever thought it would be because Elena and Bonnie seemed to think she'd completely lost her mind- but then, three months ago, she'd lost her mother, and that had been something of a turning point. She hadn't wanted Elena with her, or Bonnie, or Stefan, or _anyone_ that lived in Mystic Falls. She had felt so very broken, and some part of her was screaming in all certainty that there was only one person who could bring her any semblance of comfort. The worst part was that it hadn't been a supernatural thing, she'd just been targeted by a criminal for wearing her uniform and doing her damn job. And Caroline hadn't gotten there in time. She'd tried to feed her her blood, tried to fix things, but it hadn't worked.

But through all of the pain, the heartache, she'd wanted Klaus there. She'd begun wearing the bracelet he'd given her everywhere, even if it didn't seem fitting for the occasion. Whenever she felt weak, just as she had at the funeral, ready to fall apart- she touched the bracelet, and it reminded her of what he saw when he looked at her. Beauty. Strength- she had strength, and that simple gift managed to remind her of that. From there, she had slowly begun to realize that his absence had left a hole in her life, found herself listening to the voicemail he'd left her all those months ago whenever she felt lonely, forgotten, worthless. She had fallen into the background yet again in Mystic Falls, Bonnie and Elena gushing about classes while Caroline played the quiet friend that merely smiled and nodded. She still noticed when she was left out, but it had gotten to a point where she simply didn't care.

Her mother was gone. Her father was gone. Her childhood 'best friends' were having the time of their lives in college, and Caroline felt like she was just going through the motions. For the past two weeks, she'd fought with herself in trying to find reasons to stay and live out the human experience she'd once been so excited for. What was the point, anymore? She wasn't human. She was being a fool whenever she tried to pretend she could act like she was. And then-

_"There's a whole world out there waiting for you."_

His words echoed in her mind for days on end, leaving her torn between staying in familiarity and throwing caution to the wind. She had eternity, didn't she? So why not take a chance? And Klaus had been the only one to ever truly show her that, for him, she would always be the one.

It was something nobody else had ever done for her.

She ended up sitting on a bench, having lost track of where she really was in this maze of a city but because she'd found a place of quiet, she wasn't about to keep wandering. Heaving a sigh, she let her head fall back, staring at the night sky above her. After her mother had died, she'd sworn to herself she'd never cry again, but before long, her vision was blurring with tears. He had told her he would be her last love, however long it took, but it wasn't even a year later and he had a baby- a clear sign that he must have moved on. She finally lifted her head only to let it fall into her hands, her tears quiet but persistent despite how hard she fought to keep them back. Letting him leave at graduation had been a mistake, and she'd come here to fix that, but she was too late.

"Caroline." The blonde stumbled to her feet with a gasp, hurriedly wiping away her tears as she turned to face the man that had come up behind the bench silently. In the whole of the time she'd known Klaus, only she had ever been the one to see him truly vulnerable- just as he looked now. There was a hint of desperation in his eyes, but he made no move to come closer, simply watching her for the moment. "I heard the sounds of the French Quarter, love. I know my city," he murmured, responding to the question that hung silently between them.

"What do you want?" The question was more hurt than harsh- it didn't come out as Caroline intended, but he still dropped his gaze, his sigh visible against the chill of the night.

"I want to explain. You assumed correctly, in thinking that this child- this princess- is my daughter. But on all other counts, you are wrong."

"How? How can I be wrong, Klaus? I'm not an _idiot_, I- God, no, you know what? I feel like an idiot, and I should. I should have learned by now that everyone in my life is going to abandon me. That everyone I love is going to prove that I'm just _not enough._"

"That's not true, and you know it isn't." Klaus lifted his gaze once more, catching her own and holding it. "I never lied to you. But Zara is the product of a mistake, a horrible, horrible mistake that I have regretted every single _day_ since it happened." His lips pressed into a tight line, and he actually looked _ashamed_. It was enough to give her pause, watching him warily.

"What do you mean?"

"My daughter means more to me than I can explain. But the woman who gave birth to her means _nothing._ When I slept with her, I was angry. I was… not thinking. But just because there is a princess in New Orleans does not mean there is a _queen._" Slowly, he walked around the bench, never breaking eye contact. "It was before we last saw each other. You and I were not on the best of terms, but that doesn't mean I don't feel as though I betrayed you. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I truly am."

Caroline was finding it hard to breathe, struggling to process everything in her mind. If- no, she wouldn't even think of it as an _if_, she could tell that he was telling her the truth. When she finally spoke, her voice was shaking, quiet.

"You really never moved on?"

"Not even a little. Nor will I ever," Klaus told her firmly, leaving her with only one more question.

"Where is she? The mother, I-"

"Gone. Alive, or so I assume, but once she gave birth, she wanted to leave, and I assure you, I was more than happy to let her go." A small smile curved his lips. "Between you and I, she was an annoying prat and she's damn lucky a certain blonde taught me a bit more about patience. Absolutely no table manners whatsoever." Despite herself, Caroline actually laughed, shaking her head. The sound was a mixture of giddiness and relief. Klaus had really kept his word. Whoever the woman was, she honestly didn't want to know- it didn't matter, because it had been _before_ things between them had begun to truly settle, before he had sworn to her that he would be her last love. A one-night stand out of anger, anger that- if her assumption of the time frame was correct- she had probably caused herself. But looking at him now, she could see that his feelings for her had never changed. "Now, I have a question for you. Why are you here, love? I thought you would be in Mystic Falls, planning the biggest Christmas party the town's ever seen."

"Close, but no dice." She was laughing again, all too aware how true his assumption could have been if things hadn't changed so much for her. If she hadn't met _him._ Slowly, she stepped closer to him, suddenly forgetting the little speech she'd had all planned out in her head when she'd first left Mystic Falls. "I made a mistake, kind of like you did. But my mistake was letting you leave when I graduated." The playful smile was fading from his lips as he listened, surprise and caution replacing all levity in his eyes.

"Oh? I thought I gave you what you wanted…"

"You were close, but… you thought I wouldn't accept. And then, I wouldn't have. I was too afraid." Caroline reached to take both of his hands in hers, smiling almost shyly. "But I decided that you can make it up to me. You know, messing up my graduation gift." She grinned when his eyebrows shot up, and a chuckle escaped him as he pulled a mock-serious expression.

"Well, my lady, however can I make up for such a horrible transgression?"

"By giving me the perfect Christmas gift."

"And what, pray tell," he murmured, looking completely serious and more attentive than before, "do you want for Christmas? Name it, and you'll have it." Caroline pulled his hands around behind her, and Klaus took the hint with ease, wrapping his arms more firmly around her waist when she released him. She looped her own arms around his neck, smiling almost mischievously up at him.

"All I want for Christmas is you."

"I think that can be arranged." And before she could respond, one of his hands moved to slip behind her neck and pull her into the sweetest kiss she'd ever received.


End file.
